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Surgical Services: Our surgical suite allows for the performance of a wide variety of surgical procedures. Our doctor performs a wide array of soft tissue surgeries including spays, neuters, laser declaws, lump/mass removals, abdominal surgeries, cystotomies (to remove bladder stones), wound/abscess surgeries, and others. We also have a surgical specialist who comes in to perform orthopedic surgeries such as the repair of fractures, ruptured anterior cruciate ligaments, and luxating patellas as well as some specialty soft tissue surgeries. When needed, we also have to ability to refer your pet to a wide network of surgical specialty facilities. Laser Surgery: Dr. Edwards has extensive experience doing laser surgery. She has been using a laser for five years and has performed many types of procedures. She has been called upon several times for her knowledge and expertise regarding laser surgical issues from other veterinarians, and has helped to teach other veterinarians laser surgery procedures. There are many benefits to laser surgery. As the laser cuts, it seals nerve endings and blood vessels resulting in less pain, bleeding, and swelling. All of our declaws are done with the laser which provides for significantly less pain, bleeding, and recovery time. Other benefits include the ability to "melt away" small benign lumps such as warts, skin tags, and some eyelid masses eliminating the need for cutting and sewing in these cases. Some of these can even be done awake with a local anesthetic. We are also able to safely trim the soft palate or open up the nostrils in brachycephalic breeds (flattened faces - bull dogs, pugs, boston terriers, etc) which can greatly enhance their ability to breathe and reduce the long term consequences of their obstructed breathing. Click here for more information about laser surgery. Anesthesia: We utilize the safest available anesthetic protocols to provide as safe a surgery as possible. Although there are always risks with anesthesia, we take every step possible to minimize those risks. We taylor each and every anesthetic protocol to fit the particular patient, his/her procedure, and his/her health status. We also use both people and monitoring equipment to monitor our patients thoroughly including ECG, heart rate, pulse oximetry, temperature, respirations, and blood pressure. Prior to anesthesia, all patients have a blood profile checked so that we may be sure the pet's organs are functioning properly and to reveal any hidden health conditions that could put your pet at risk. All patients undergoing surgery or dentistry are placed on IV fluids which helps to maintain both blood pressure and blood flow through the kidneys. Dentistry: The importance of dental health cannot be emphasized enough. We recommend at home dental care when possible and a thorough evaluation of the teeth by our veterinarian on a regular basis. Pets should  have a thorough dental cleaning under anesthesia every few years depending upon their oral health. At that time their teeth will be throughly examined, cleaned, and polished. We utilize a high level ultrasonic scaler (IM3 42-12) which allows us to scale under the gum line and in gingival pockets safely and more effectively than handscaling as is needed with typical piezo scalers. We utilize digital dentalradiography to assess any problem teeth for abscesses, bone loss, or resorptive lesions and perform simple or surgical extractions with a high speed fiberoptic drill as needed. Although we do not perform endodontics (root canals) or tooth restoration procedures, we are happy to provide a referral and transmission of any digital dental images to a veterinary dental specialist. Pain Managment: Pain recognition and management in pets is very important. Let us help you determine whether you pet experiences pain and what can be done about it. We feel strongly about the use of surgical pain medications and utilize very progressive and comprehensive protocols. Feel free to ask about what pain medications will be used for your pet. We also feel strongly about the use of pain medication after surgery and send a prescription home with all of our surgery patients. Visit our "what's new?" page for a link to Dr. Edwards recent article about pain in pets. |